


Prompto Programmed

by OperaGoose



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Book/Movie Fusion, Alternate Universe - Ella Enchanted Fusion, Coerced Espionage, Curse of Obedience, Due to obedience, Love Potion/Spell, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Minor Injuries, Partial Mind Control, no beta we die like men, spoilers for Kingsglaive I guess, well that's the closest tag because it was the obedience
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-21 07:30:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12452589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OperaGoose/pseuds/OperaGoose
Summary: In which the author watched Ella Enchanted for five minutes and this AU appeared.Prompto's got a quirk, thanks to the circumstances of his birth. He must do everything he's told, whether he wants to or not.Probably just going to be a series of connected semi-canon drabbles, since I don't really have a plot going with this.





	1. Chapter 1

Even if Prompto had been given a choice to, he probably still would’ve fallen in love with Noctis.

In their first year of high school, when they were just becoming friends, they were at the arcade. The prince had thrown off his handler, and the two of them had snuck to the arcade. They were in a secluded corner, away from the crowd, playing a First Person Shooter against each other. 

Prompto was kicking his ass - he was a sharp shooter and he already had the top score on the machines they’d played here. They were having a great time - laughing and knocking each other off-aim. 

But Noctis was getting frustrated, he could tell. He was about to finish up, suggest they play one of the other games, when Noctis temper snapped. “Stop _winning_!” he whined. 

Prompto felt an answering spark from the nape of his neck to the front of his skull. His muscles locked up, and though he could still turn the plastic gun to each new target, his fingers wouldn’t pull the trigger. 

Noctis shot him a look, and when the game ended he didn’t stick another coin in. “I’m hungry,” he announced. 

They got dinner at a nearby diner - Noct wrinkling his nose at the large salad Prompto ordered a side. “ _Gross_.” 

He grinned. “My hot bod doesn’t maintain itself you know! We can’t all have your _majestic_ body type.” 

Prompto heard his teeth click as his jaw snapped together. He picked up his shake, sipping it through his teeth. He wouldn’t talk again, he promised internally, but he needed his jaw to eat. The muscles in his jaw slowly unstuck and he could pick up his burger. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” he muttered. Then, louder, he snapped: “would you _stop it_ already?” He looked frustrated when Prompto raised his eyes to look at him. “Don’t do everything I say!” 

Prompto couldn’t help a shaky inhale at the flare from Noctis’s command. No one had ever… His eyes stung with sudden tears. 

“Just because I’m the prince,” Noctis was saying, “it doesn’t mean you have to obey me all the time. It’s not like you’d do that with everyone else!” 

An awkward laugh escaped his throat. _Little did he know…_ “Fine,”he said, grinning and giddy with it. “I’ll only obey you when _I_ want to.” 

So yeah. Maybe Prompto would’ve fallen in love with him anyway, if he’d been given a choice.


	2. Chapter 2

Ignis was the first one to work it out. Prompto didn’t know what tipped him off, but it wasn’t long until Noct’s advisor revealed his hand. 

They were playing a video game in Noct’s bedroom when the advisor’s voice called from the kitchen: “Argentum. Come assist me.” 

He groaned, but couldn’t resist for long until he was getting up and leaving the bedroom. 

“Close the door.” 

Okay, this wasn’t feeling very good. He playfully rolled his eyes at Noct and closed the door behind him. Then he made his way to the kitchen. “What’s up, Scientia?” 

The advisor looking at him with cold reserve. “Place your hand on the stove.” 

_No no no no no_

He fought every step of the way, the pressure in his skull building with every moment he tried to delay his obedience. Almost puppet-like, his legs took him to the stove and raised his hand to place it down on the hot stove. 

The pain was instantaneous. In reflex, his muscles tried to retreat, but his arm locked up and held his hand in place. He started out hissing his pain through his teeth, but the longer it held on he couldn’t stop a scream of pain. 

Ignis grabbed his hand and yanked it off the hot plate. “Stop!” 

He did, jumping away from the stove and shooting the advisor a betrayed look. “Prompto? You alright?” Noct called from the bedroom. 

“Fine,” he called. “Just burned my hand helping your boss.” 

A pause. “You need help?” 

“I have a potion on hand, your highness,” Ignis called, “no need to trouble yourself.” 

“...okay.” 

Once they were sure Noct wasn’t coming out, they silently regarded one another. Ignis took the potion out of his pocket and crushed it, the healing mist falling over Prompto’s hand and easing the burn but not the sting of betrayal. 

He held his hand against his chest, keeping his eyes on the floor. “Will you let me say goodbye to Noct before you make me go away.” 

Ignis was silent, and Prompto felt those sharp, observant eyes lingering on him. “Are you so certain that is what I will do?” 

“You know about it now, which means you know why.” 

Ignis’s hand rose and slid up his glasses over his nose. “You are incorrect,” he said carefully. “I had merely observed and developed a theory about it.” 

Prompto raised his eyes, staring him down. “If you didn’t know then why did you make me…?” 

Ignis looked sheepish for a moment, before his expression turned back to its regular cold neutral. “It had to be an instruction that you would not obey under your own will,” he replied, “it was the best I could think of in the immediate vicinity.” 

“Fuck you!” Prompto snarled. 

“Bite your tongue,” Ignis said coolly. 

A sharp pain, and then copper flooded his mouth. Swearing internally, he rushed to the sink to spit, unclenching his teeth from the muscle, commanding himself that Ignis hadn’t meant it literally. 

“Damn,” Ignis came close behind him, “I didn’t mean… is it always so literal?” 

Prompto had to wash his mouth out a few times before he could stand and settle Ignis an angry glare. “Yeah,” he replied, tongue painful and swollen as he spoke. “I can talk it down if I know that that’s not how they meant it, but if they did…” He shrugged. He’d been hurt too many times by assholes. 

“What about sarcasm?” Ignis asked. “Does that count?” 

Irritated, Prompto didn’t feel like answering. He folded his arms and glared silently at his feet. But he didn’t get much chance to resist. Ignis just gave him a look. “Answer my questions. Be honest and candid.” 

The spark burned along with his fury. “Depends if it’s really sarcasm or whether I think someone’s hiding the truth in it.” He clenched his jaw. “If someone doesn’t mean it as a command, but it’s still phrased that way, I have to do it. If someone is talking to me but I don’t know if it was for me, I still have to obey. If there’s conflicting orders, it’s whatever came first - unless the second order mentions disregarding prior ones. If I try hard, I can be sarcastic about my obedience - but sometimes it depends on the tone. And I really want to stop talking to you now.” 

Ignis pushed up his glasses. “Are you under orders to befriend Prince Noctis?” 

He strained his teeth. “Not really. Lunafreya wrote to me she wanted me to stay friends with him years ago - but we weren’t at the time. And anyway, she wouldn’t mean it as anything bad. She just thought he was lonely. I’d rather be friends with him, anyway - he’s the only person who’s ever told me I didn’t have to obey him.” 

The advisor regarded him. “Did he order it?” He waited for Prompto’s nod. “So he wouldn’t be able to order you to stop if you’re being made to assassinate him.” 

He nodded reluctantly. “He wouldn’t.” So here it was - Ignis was going to order him away. For Noctis’s safety. 

Ignis nodded decisively. “Very well,” he announced. “Prompto Argentum, you will do _nothing_ to harm Prince Noctis. No other orders, retroactively and henceforth, can contradict this order, no matter how it is worded.” He looked at Prompto carefully. “I won’t command you not to obey me,” he said quietly, “it is too useful in the event of danger. But I do promise that I will endeavour not to issue you commands - and I won’t order you to hurt yourself again.” 

Prompto stared at him as the realisation hit. “You’re not making me go away?” 

Ignis shook his head. “No. I’m not. I see more good than harm in your friendship with Prince Noctis. He’s been much happier since the friendship between the two of developed.” He cleared his throat. “I’m going to leave you money for take-away. Please attempt to keep his choice as healthy as you can manage.” 

He left them and Prompto gave himself a quiet moment, before throwing Noct’s door open. “Scientia left us cash. Let’s get pizza!”


	3. Chapter 3

“What’s the matter, Prompto?” Noctis asked, glancing at his friend as they walked through the grand lobby of the citadel to reach the doors. “Who are you glaring at?” He looked over his shoulder. 

Prompto quickly moved his gaze away. He didn’t want to be asked questions he couldn’t give an answer to, it was just uncomfortable for everyone. “I wasn’t glaring,” he lied instead. 

“Drautos?” Noct asked, finding exactly who Prompto’d been looking at. “What’s wrong with him?” 

Prompto shrugged. His tongue stuck in his mouth, but he managed to strain out “nothing, just gives me a funny feeling” without sounding too strangled. If only it were that simple. 

  


About a month ago, Noctis had invited his friend Prompto to the citadel for the first time. He’d been nervous as hell about going, but as long as he kept close to the prince and tried not to get into a conversation with anyone, he was sure he would be fine. Of course nothing could ever go to plan. 

Ignis swept Noct away for an important meeting with someone-or-other in the court, and Prompto was left sitting around the prince’s sitting room with absolutely nothing to do. 

And then Captain Titus Drautos had arrived. One look at Prompto and he’d known exactly who - or rather _what_ he was. “Stand up,” had been the first order. The compulsion to obey hadn’t felt the same - it seemed to go straight to his muscles before it sparked through his brain. 

“How did a fake like you doing here? Ah, yes. Of course. Prompto Argentum, the prince’s pathetic little commoner friend.” He looked at him in disgust - though whether it was for being a fake or a commoner, Prompto really couldn’t tell. “Well. You may at least have some use.” He gripped his hand through the air and a wicked-looking dagger appeared in his hand. He pressed it into Prompto’s hands, not caring as the blade sliced through Noct’s shirt and nicked his skin. “When Prince Noctis returns to the room, you’ll take this dagger and thrust it into his chest until his dead.”

It was almost terrifying how calm the supposed Lucian sounded. Like he was just telling Prompto to give Noct a letter, instead of commanding him to commit _murder_. And, like, _treason_. 

Prompto dropped the dagger and took a violent step backwards. “No,” he hissed. Thank the Astrals for Ignis, for his command to safeguard Noctis. 

Drautos’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and he vanished the dagger with an impatient glare. “Tell me why.”

A shiver ran down Prompto’s spine. But his words were escaping before he could even think about how to answer. “Ignis Scientia commanded me never to harm the prince, General.” _General?_

The apparent general looked irritated. “Hn. So if you were discovered, someone would know that you had been commanded.” He glared at Prompto. “I’ll have to find some _other_ use for you then.” 

  


And that was how Prompto had become an unwilling spy for Drautos. 

Every time he came to visit the citadel, the captain found some way to make them have a private moment, where he’d force Prompto to divulge everything he knew about Prince Noctis. Then he’d forbid him - after every visit - about mentioning Drautos to anyone. 

He snapped out of his thoughts when Noct elbowed him in the side. “Come on. Ignis is bringing the car around. We can go back to my place and play Assassin’s Creed.”


	4. Chapter 4

Prompto was in the Citadel again, for what he suspected would be the last time. They were leaving Insomnia - for the first time in most of their lives - to take Noct to Altissia. So he could get married. To Lady Lunafreya. He tried hard not to pretend he was jealous.

Well they would be soon. First they were getting their Crownsguard Uniforms ( _he didn’t even know they **had** a Crownsguard and now he was one of them!_ ) and then there was some formal goodbye they had to attend with the king. 

He was just dressing in the outfit - and it was _cool_ compared to the fancy Kingsglaive uniforms most of the other guys wore - when the door opened. One of the Kingsglaive appeared, and gave him a cool look. “Your presence has been requested. I am to escort you.”

Well that was weird. Usually the General just showed up wherever he was in a private moment. That way there was no witnesses to tie their meeting together. It was cautious. This was new. Maybe he was parading it as some sort of official capacity.

He tugged the clothes into place and nodded. “Yeah. Okay. I’m coming.”

The glaive gave him an odd look, but they led the way. But not to Drautos’s rooms - which Prompto had only seen a handful of times. These rooms were far too fine, compared to the Captain’s Suite anyway. He looked around, confused. “Uh...”

The glaive didn’t answer. He just closed the door behind him as he left. 

“...weird.”

“I must apologise for the summons.”

Prompto jolted and turned around - and then there was _King Regis_ himself, easing himself into a cushioned seat with his stiff leg. He bowed hurriedly. “You’re majesty! I didn’t -”

“It’s alright. You can relax, Prompto.” The king looked... weary. And _old_.

“C-can I get you anything, your majesty?” He hated that he had stuttered, but he was nervous. What had the king summoned him here for? Had he figured out what he was? That he’d been passing secrets to the General? 

The king held up a hand to shush him. “I only ask you listen to me, Prompto Argentum.”

He bowed and stayed quiet, looking at him nervously. There was a twisting feeling in his guts, but he ignored it. Wouldn’t do to be sick in front of the _king_ from nerves. He wasn’t surprised the king knew his name - he’d just been sworn in as the Prince’s protector ( _oaths that were far more binding to him than either Ignis or Gladiolus_ ). He had to have been brought to the king’s attention. But he couldn’t understand why he’d been brought here _now_ \- after his ceremony, instead of before.

“I know about you, Prompto,” the king explained. 

His stomach gave a sick twist. He _knew_. He was **so** dead! “Your majesty, I -” 

Another raised hand to keep him quiet. “I know about the circumstances of your birth. The Argentums were close friends of mine in a life so long ago. I know about your obedience, and I also know of your meetings with Drautos.”

He swallowed. “I didn’t mean to betray-”

“No, of course not.” The king watched him, and looked so _sad and sorry_ for a long moment. “Understand that, if I had another choice, I wouldn’t be doing what I have planned.” 

A low buzz started from the base of his neck, spreading through his brain. Rewriting his thoughts, his knowledge, his _understanding_. His stomach roiled - and he trampled down the feeling of needing to be sick.

“You see, I need someone by my son’s side, who will do all they can to protect him, and ensure his happiness. Someone who does it not for oaths sworn, but for genuine desire for my son’s wellbeing.”

“...sir?” Prompto asked uncertainly. 

The king looked at him, sorrow in his eyes. “As King of Lucis, with no authority above my own other than the Astrals themselves, I command thee...” A deep breath, and only the smallest moment of hesitation: “I command thee: love my son. Fully, and unconditionally. Be as if you have _always_ loved my son. Always, and wholeheartedly.”

Prompto gritted his teeth, tried to push back on the feeling that burned through his skull - down his spine and out through every limb. The compulsion had made him do so many things he didn’t want in his life, had controlled his actions, and his words, and his thoughts. But never had they done this. Never had they rewritten his heart. He could taste copper and something wet dribbled out of his nose. 

The sensation was distraction enough. As soon as his focus slipped, so did his resistance. He blacked out, he didn’t know how long for. When he woke up, he was lying on a chaise in a different room, and Ignis was roughly shaking his shoulder. “Prompto!”

“Huh? What?” He muttered, looking around wildly. Where had King Regis gone? What...?

Ignis handed him a handkerchief. “Your nosebleed,” he said. “I’ve been searching for you. The formal farewell is about to begin, and you cannot keep the king waiting.” 

Prompto grunted at that. Fuck the king. He cleaned himself up and followed Ignis out of the weird room - and along the corridor to the antechamber to the throne room. Gladio and Noct were there. 

The sight of Noctis hit him like a punch in the chest. It was everything before, the close bond they had together, but there was almost this extra shine around Noctis. Something that made his heart beat and his stomach flip and his breath catch. He tried to remember what it was like before, but he couldn’t. All his memories had the same glow. Fuck, could he never again think of him or remember him without this?

“You alright?” Noct whispered as they began to line up behind him. “You seem off.”

“I’m just nervous as hell,” he lied, tugging at his clothes. “Do these clothes make me look weird?”

“Yeah,” Noct replied, giving him a lazy smile. “You look almost like a grown-up for once.”

Prompto snorted and reached over to punch Noct’s arm. That tiny contact, between so many layers, had sparks dancing across his skin.

“Stop screwing around,” Gladiolus grunted. 

Prompto’s playful feeling completely disappeared, and he felt his expression fall serious. Straightening up, he kept his eyes forward and followed Noctis into the throne room for the first time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I typed this up on my phone cause it's 1am and I wasn't booting up my computer. Sorry if it's janky or sucks.

Gladio issued commands with ease. Especially when he was in a temper or fighting. It came almost natural to him, Prompto thought, to take control and instruct everybody else what to do. He also expected to be obeyed, preferably without complaint, so in the years of their friendship, he'd never found Prompto's obedience strange. 

They'd never spent a lot of time with each other though, so he was on edge. Expecting any minute for Gladio to notice. He shouldn't have worried. 

The car spluttered, make an awful noise, and then ground to a stop. "What was that?" Noct asked, jolting awake from a nap. 

"It appears we're having car trouble," Ignis said, his voice smooth in that way it only took on when he was irritated. 

"Sounded like something went wrong with the engine," Prompto offered. 

Gladiolus grunted, and impatiently snapped: "go check it out then! You're the tech lover." 

"I don't know shit about engines," he protested, but he was already unbuckling his seatbelt and climbing out of the passenger seat. He went to the front of the car to try and pry open the bonnet - and then he stalled. How the hell did this thing open? 

"Forget it," Gladio growled. 

A spark and then... wait, why was he standing beside the car? He blinked rapidly. It had stalled and... and what? He turned to meet Ignis's eyes through the windshield. What had just...? 

Ignis wasn't looking at him. He was looking through his phone. "There ought to be a garage a little further onward. The first populated area on our journey. I believe Cor supplied us with a number..." 

"Noct can call them then." Gladio climbed out of the car, helped Ignis out and gave Prompto a hard glare. "Start pushing." 

Push the car?! Prompto's legs were carrying him back to the passenger side, securing a hold on the door and rear view mirror and giving a push. It didn't budge in the slightest. He pushed and heaved, and it took a moment to realise nobody else was helping. "Guys!" he whined. "Come on." 

They pushed. They pushed until Prompto was covered in head to toe with sweat and muscles screamed in protest. "I need to stop," he wheezed, hardly able to get breath in his lungs. 

"Ignis switch," Noct said, his voice a little guilty. "I'll take over pushing. You try and call." 

Why did Ignis get a reprieve? But they all got a short break as the two of them switched. Too soon, Gladio was barking out: "ready? Push!" 

Prompto, with his running, knew how to press on through the pain barrier. He was good to go for a little while, but then it started hurting again. He stumbled and clung to the side of the car. 

"Prompto! Quit screwing around!" Gladio growled. 

"I'm not!" he protested, even as the pain down his spine had him moving to get back to the task. "I can't do this any more." He stumbled again, catching himself on the side of the car. It slowed to a stop as the others stopped pushing too. "This is stupid. We can't push all the way to the garage. One of us should hitch there and get them to send us a tow." 

"That strategy displays some merit," Ignis answered, from his cushy position in the front seat of the car. "At minimum, we'll no longer have to listen to Prompto's complaints." 

He burned with a quiet rage, but fought it down. "I'll go first." He headed out to the road and stuck his thumb out. They'd passed a couple cars on the drive so someone would be along soon, right...? 

Gladio took over after a while, and Prompto moved to the end of the car where there was a tiny sliver of a shadow and collapsed into a heap on the ground. Every muscle hurt. 

He felt something cool pressed into his hand and opened one eye. Noctis. Beautiful, sweet Noctis. Prompto felt his anger melt away as his best friend murmured "here." 

It was the dregs of a water bottle but it was liquid. Blessed, wet liquid to soothe his sandpaper dry tongue and throat. "My hero," he gasped. 

Noct just settled him with one of those tired half-smiles. By the time Prompto had his camera out it was gone, but he captured a shot of Noctis in front of the car anyway. "First shot of the trip!" he declared. "New SD card and everything." 

Noct grunted in acknowledgement and Prompto sent the camera back to...wherever it went when things disappeared when they vanished them, and flopped back down on the ground. "Road tripping sucks. 0/10 would not recommend." 

Noct was quiet for a moment, then looked at him seriously. "I'm glad you're here, anyway," he murmured, too low for the other two to hear it. "I wouldn't want to make this trip without you." 

Prompto's heart was fluttering and he thought he might burst with joy. A dorky smile crossed his lips. "I'd go anywhere with you, Noct." 

The prince looked away quickly and they fell silent as yet another car honked at them but drove right on past. 

"I think we can forget about hitching our way there..." 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave me a comment, if you can spare the time. There's nothing I enjoy more than seeing comments in my inbox for something I'm writing.


End file.
